(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general technical field of transporting freight in a vehicle. The term “vehicle” should be understood as meaning any type of transport means such as a truck, a motor car, a train, a boat, or an aircraft. The aircraft may be a fixed wing aircraft or a rotary wing aircraft such as a rotorcraft, a helicopter, a hybrid helicopter, or any other type of aircraft.
In the present description, reference is made more particularly to aircraft, however the invention is not limited in any way to such a particular application.
(2) Description of Related Art
It is very important to manage loads on an aircraft both from an economic point of view and in terms of the safety of said aircraft in flight. It is constantly desired to load aircraft with as many loads as possible while improving safety in flight, or in general during a mission performed by a vehicle transporting the freight. Safety in flight is improved in particular by appropriately distributing loads as a function of their weights relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft. In terms of flight missions, the stowage of loads is managed relative to potential loading volumes in the aircraft.
Reference is made more particularly to loads that are for loading in the cabin or the hold, for example, however the invention also applies to loads placed outside the aircraft. In certain circumstances, the aircraft may be loaded with loads both inside and outside the cabin and/or the hold.
The present invention relates more particularly to a method of providing assistance in loading loads into a vehicle, in particular an aircraft, and more particularly a rotary wing aircraft such as a rotorcraft.
In order to ensure safety in flight of an aircraft, it is necessary to ensure that loads are retained, i.e. prevented from moving, during a flight. Retaining loads that are loaded in a predefined arrangement serves in general to obtain a degree of balancing in the distribution of the loads and also enables an acceptable location to be achieved for the center of gravity of the loaded aircraft. This generally makes it easier to pilot the aircraft.
By way of example, document U.S. 2010/0222993 discloses a system of managing the loading of a rotary wing aircraft, and more precisely a method that calculates the position of the center of gravity of the loaded aircraft and also acceptable limits for positioning said center of gravity, such that the crew can determine in real time information associated with the current loading and also the position of the center of gravity. The use of such a method is certainly advantageous, but it does not serve to satisfy the objects of the present invention in terms of optimizing safety of the aircraft in various loading and flight configurations.
Document WO 2007/119898 also discloses a method and a system for optimizing the distribution of freight in an aircraft in order to optimize centering of said loads. The method described is based on an algorithm for calculating a loading configuration as a function of the weights, the distribution, and the positioning of the loads. The method described thus makes it possible to take account of information associated with the loads and to propose acceptable loading configurations to the pilot. The method described is likewise insufficient for guaranteeing optimized flight safety for the aircraft in all of its flight configurations.
It is known to propose loading configurations for an aircraft by calculation as a function of vehicle parameters and as a function of load characteristics. The vehicle parameters are identified in a database and the load characteristics are determined depending on the particular loads to be loaded on board the vehicle. The operator selects vehicle parameters and inputs the characteristics of the loads on the basis of which a computer executes an algorithm for determining the best possible loading configuration.
By way of example, reference may be made to the following documents:                L. A. Martin-Vega: “Aircraft load planning and computer description and review”, extracted from Computers & Industrial Engineering, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 357-369;        Debra Anderson, et al.: “ALLPS a knowledge-based system for aircraft loading”, extracted from IEEE Expert, IEEE service center, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp. 71-79;        M. Monceau, et al.: “Optimization of aircraft container loading”, extracted from IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, extracted from IEEE service center, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 140-150;        FR 2 460 841 (Messerschmitt Boelkow Blohm); and        U.S. 2005/246057 (C. J. Olin, et al.).        
According to those documents, the loading configurations obtained by calculation supply a distribution loads inside the aircraft as a function of the arrangement of various spaces available for use in loading. The looked-for result is to obtain the best possible distribution of loads as a function of the individual weights of the loads, of the overall weight of the loads taken together, and of the natures of the loads, such as in particular possibly perishable foodstuffs. The distribution is calculated relative to the center of gravity of the aircraft and the storage volumes available on board the aircraft. Finally, it is desired to minimize loss of energy in terms of fuel consumption and/or to distribute the loads as well as possible in view of their weights relative to balancing the loaded aircraft.
More particularly, according to U.S. 2005/246057 (C. J. Olin, et al.), vehicle parameters relating to anchor points of an aircraft are listed in a database. The database also lists current loading configurations for a given aircraft, on the basis of the actual presence, locations, and orientations of located anchor members, each of which comprises an individually by anchor point of the aircraft. From the database, the operator identifies and selects the vehicle parameters of the aircraft that is to be loaded with loads and for which the current loading configuration is listed. The operator inputs the characteristics of the loads for loading on the aircraft. A computer determines whether the characteristics of the loads are compatible with the current loading configuration of the aircraft, and if not it proposes a new loading configuration.